In talking with a guy this morning, I was struck with an understanding of the need to get intimate in our relationship with Christ. How this plays out is something that is different for everyone. I think about spending time with God when I awake in the morning. Used to not be that way though.

Question: How important is it in your opinion to think about spending time with God when you wake, and how do you connect?

I would love to get responses from the blogging community, and hopefully some comments. Feel free to comment below. Those of us who follow Christ have ways that they connect with God. I understand how that plays out in my own life, but that is my opinion. I would like to have feedback from others to round out my understanding of obtaining and maintaining a close walk with Christ.

My opinion is simply that .. only my opinion. As I encourage others in their walk with God, I desire to have a rounded opinion to hopefully hit them where they are, and give them something that they can connect with.

Today, 24 years ago, I married my sweetheart. Thankfulness fills my heart this morning. I got the better end of the deal with my wife. She is a wonderful person and I couldn’t help but share what was on my heart this morning.

We have a strong marriage. We have been through so much. I am mostly thankful that my four children have witnessed stability in their parents for 24 years now. In the day where over 1/2 of all marriages fail, they have seen parents that are stable and strong in the paths of life.

It isn’t that we have not had troubles. We both come from families that caused some troubles and battles early in our marriages .. mostly mine. It took me some time to come to the point where she was chosen over my parents. But it finally happened. I finally woke up and learned what was most important in my life of being a husband.

God has been good to me. The troubles, fights and trials have served only to strengthen our marriage. The way I put it: “You will not know how strong the relationship is until it is tested. The greater testings only serve to prove the relationship when you make it on the other side.”

We have been through the testings now. We both know what buttons NOT to push when we fight, and we don’t push them. It has taken awhile but after 24 years you learn.

I look forward to growing old with my wife. Our oldest is almost 23 – getting married next year and our youngest is 14. We are transitioning into another phase of our relationship and we are both excited. I am a blessed man!